In business since 1990, I have seen the changes in the American healthcare system and understand how the system works (and doesn't.) This requires knowledge and commitment; two of the skills I bring to my profession. Based in Southern California and Reno since 1990, I travel to clients nationwide to relieve them and their loved ones of the stress of competently navigating healthcare today. I offer navigation services in hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, palliative care settings, and in clients' homes. An experienced negotiator, I have the ability to positively impact all aspects of a client's healthcare needs. Experienced in billing negotiation, I have saved clients tens of thousands of dollars. Understanding the business and politics of healthcare is essential, and the basics can be found in my app, DependableDoc -- The Patient Push-Back App (free download through iTunes.) With a background as an estate administrator, my services also includes assistance with legal, financial, and insurance reviews. As survivor of chronic pain, finally relieved of trigeminal neuralgia in 2007 with brain surgery, I possess first-hand knowledge of tackling misdiagnoses, battling debilitating pain, and the clinical depression it often causes. Protecting my clients and seeing them properly cared for medically, emotionally, and from financial and insurance coverage perspectives is paramount to me. I am a self-taught patient advocate and have learned from my own experience in the trenches with my clients. Complimentary initial telephone consultations available. Detailed Scope of Service accompanied by one comprehensive flat fee. APHA, NAHAC member, certified palliative care counselor. Stellar references available; client and/or physician contacts matched to your specific circumstances. For video testimonialsplease visit: soulsherpa.net/sherpee-success-stories/

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My 83 year old father suffered a perforated stomach on January 3. He also contracted a lung infection and had numerous post surgical complications. We engaged in a long and frustrating attempt to get his managed Medicare provider to discharge him to a long term acute care hospital, but were unsuccessful. We engaged Lisa to help us negotiate a longer stay in the acute rehab to which he was discharged. Her assistance has been invaluable. She was able to win a level 2 appeal and we are currently in the process of a level 3 appeal after the original extension ran out. The facility actually tried to discharge my father and then threatened to give him custodial care only. I don’t know what we would have done without Lisa’s knowledge of Medicare laws or her ability to educate the administrators of the facility. Lisa Berry Blackstock has been an amazing advocate and my family and myself will be forever grateful.

Colleen Johnson | March 15, 2019

In June of this year my sister fell and broke her hip. Shortly after that, she broke her femur while recovering in a skilled nursing home. I traveled thousands of miles to stay by her side but my work and family responsibilities forced me to return to my home leaving my sister without a family member to help her through the maze of Medicare requirements. When the facility told me they were going to force her to leave because she was "no longer making progress," I felt lost without any way to help her. I contacted Lisa and she has been a Godsend! She found a law that required the facility to continue taking care of her physical therapy. No one at the hospital, the doctors, the social workers, or the nursing facility knew about the law...but Lisa did and my sister was able to remain at the facility and receive the best of care. Lisa has come to the facility 2-3 times a week and handled everything for my sister and family. She responds immediately to ever question and is most proactive and confident in the way she handles the challenges before her. My sister believes in her ability and listens to her recommendations as does our family. I recommend her without reservation! Dr. Larry Craft

Larry Craft | August 9, 2018

Lisa is by far the best medical advocate I interviewed. We had an outrageous hospital emergency room bill of about $11,000 that we ended up paying about $600 to the hospital for, with Lisa’s help. [She charged us a flat fee paid upfront of less than $1000.] We were supposed to pay about $7000 out of pocket after the in-network discount for insurance. We would have had to pay all of that $7000 because we had a high deductible. It was an out-of-state hospital that was listed as in-network for us, but basically was charging us as much as an out-of-network hospital would have charged us. All we got for $11,000 was 25 minutes with a doctor (over 3 days) and a glue bandage that costs fifty cents at any pharmacy. The emergency room doctor gave instructions to my son that included two return visits, so he followed their instructions. These kinds of outrageous charges really should be illegal and cannot happen in many other countries. I called every billing advocate I could find a current phone number for. Several of them wanted me to send them every bill before giving me an estimate. Some were willing to give me an estimate without seeing all the bills. Here are the responses (not including Lisa’s) I got from those who were willing to give me an estimate without seeing the bills. Each one below is from a different advocate.
1) It’s my problem for picking a high deductible plan.
2) They have not had any luck with these cases in the past. Advised me to find an advocate who lives in the same state as the hospital, and perhaps has worked with that hospital before.
3) Will charge me $300 up front and 1/3 of what they save me. Estimated that they can save me about $2000 to $3000 and I would have to pay $5000 to $4000 to the hospital on top of what I pay the advocate.
4) Said they can get the entire bill removed if my child is a student in college with no income. Would charge me a third of what they save me.
Lisa is a kind, smart, very competent patient advocate. Save yourself a lot of time, energy and money and hire her. I would have saved myself many hours interviewing billing advocates if I had found her early on in my process. [The reviews on this site were not available until fall of 2017.] She is definitely my go-to person if I have any of problems in the future.

Fan | February 28, 2018

Lisa was a tireless, compassionate advocate for a former co-worker of mine who moved from Maine to Los Angeles. After my friend, Bill, received a devastating diagnosis and was receiving questionable hospice care in a motel, we were blessed to find Lisa online. Bill had little financial resources, no family member or close friend to care for him. Lisa offered to take him on pro bono. PRO BONO! If she hadn't I shudder to think the outcome. She quickly assessed a shady hospice group. She found a place where Bill could die with dignity. She visited with him and provided so much comfort. She helped him connect with his family and tied up all loose ends with his financial situation. Even if Bill had the funds she is worth so much more than her fee.
She is an inspiration to those whose lives she has touched, all she will touch and all who have heard about her.

Karen in Maine | February 19, 2018

Lisa is an absolute rock star! About a year ago I had to have an emergency appendectomy in Los Angeles CA, and unfortunately did not have health insurance at the time. My bills were all over the place and through the roof expensive. My mom, thank god, happened to find Lisa online and suggest I reach out and see if she could help. And boy am I glad I did.
Not only has she stuck by my side for the last year, she has tirelessly negotiated my bills down to less than 20% of what my initial costs were.
I am 26 (25 when I reached out to Lisa), so this was my first time as a young adult I had to deal with expenses like this. I was initially very intimidated and scared of how I was going to figure this out. But Lisa made me feel incredibly safe with her guidance, and confident everything would be okay. She is amazing, and I will forever be grateful for her guidance and compassion. I would highly recommend her to anyone in a similar situation:)

Samantha Corona | February 9, 2018

Without question, Lisa is a gem. She is fearless, knows her stuff, is organized, is compassionate and, most importantly, effective. While my case is not yet finalized, I am confident I am in safe hands and an confident I shall be able to follow through on my commitment to make a large ex-gratia payment out of what Lisa saves me to enable her to take on more pro-bono cases.

Michael Lewis | December 11, 2017

Lisa has been working with our adult son for several months; our son suffers from chronic mental illness and learning disabilities and Lisa has been invaluable to us, his parents, in supplying weekly medications, helping him organize his appointments and activities of daily living, communicating with physicians and providing a support structure for him and us; Lisa is detailed and responsive, patient yet no-nonsense in dealing with our son's sometimes challenging behaviors and, since we live about five hours drive from our son, Lisa's weekly on site assessments have been key in keeping us appraised of updates.

Sally in Carmel, CA | November 22, 2017

My advocate will always be number one with me! My health had deminish to the point that I wasn't for sure recovery would ever be a future option. My advocate went above and beyond as she traveled in from L. A. to Nashville, Tennessee. We discussed my medical treatment options, then she immediately made a strong reccommendation for me to be evaluated by specialist in Los Angeles. Today I have regained hope while still attempting recovery only because she cared more than my own family did. A sad and embarrassing family story, but so very true!

Jack in Tennessee | November 22, 2017

Lisa is an amazing advocate. She is 100% reliable and fights tirelessly for her clients. My bill for a week in hospital with pneumonia was over $120,000 - without insurance. I found Lisa after going through several other lawyers who were very discouraging and asked for large fees to get a tiny discount for me. But Lisa knew that the bill was grossly unfair, did not stop until she felt they would not reduce any further, and got them to reduce it to $20,000. She asked from me only $2,000 in return. I am so lucky to have found her.